One of the most misunderstood aspects of the hiring process is the phone interview. In an effort to save time and resources, many employers use phone interviews to help screen out candidates that might not have the skills and personality fit for the position. However, many candidates underestimate the importance of a phone interview, thinking of it as just an administrative step in the interview process. But make no mistake, a phone interview is a “real” interview and if you do not complete it successfully, you’ll never move forward in the process.

As accounting professionals look to the New Year, they have a lot to celebrate. The unemployment rate for accountants stands at around 3.9 percent and Forbes recently listed accountants and auditors at No. 2 on its list of Top Jobs. Iinitiatives in business, government, and nonprofit organizations to cut costs and improve productivity have resulted in increased demand for accountants. And it seems things will only get better.

The financial services sector is continuing to build up its workforce, despite current market unpredictability. Around 50 percent of sector CEOs are looking to increase their headcount over the next 12 months, with about half of these anticipating staff increases of more than 5% over the coming year.

This morning, I was talking with an accounting firm that is an SNI client about what makes someone a great hire. While we discussed a number of criteria candidates should have, we both agreed that great hires come from a great hiring process. More often than not, a job candidate’s eventual success can be tracked back to the interview process. Here are three ways that hiring managers can increase the number of “great hires” they make.

Because of the number of Baby Boomers and lower birth rates of younger people, job supply and demand will eventually favor mature workers. But for now, employment opportunities can be hard to find. In March 2013, 51% of job seekers 55 and older were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer, compared with 41.7% of those ages 25 to 54, according to the AARP Public Policy Institute. Over the last two years the trend has been clear: older workers are unemployed and remain unemployed for a longer period of time.